Where would it be best for you to sit on your wedding day?

Traditionally at a wedding, the bride and groom have a top table. But of late, more couples are opting to have a separate table just for the two of them. Which would suit you best?

A traditional top table created by one of our stylists

A top table

This is the traditional option. You sit out at the front of the reception alongside your new spouse with your parents beside you, the best man, the chief bridesmaid and your grandparents.

Opting to arrange your seating this way means that the wedding reception has a key focal point which is something to think about if you don’t want to be the centre of attention whilst you are eating your wedding breakfast.

On the other hand, it does allow your parents to smile proudly at you as they sit alongside and it gives a natural setting for the wedding speeches to be held, as everybody is sitting in more or less the same area which makes it easy to have a microphone there.

Another happy couple at one of the weddings we styled…

A long top table offers excellent opportunities for decoration. For a top table you can’t really do too much, you can indulge your fantasies and have the most stylish table you’ve ever dreamed of.

If the background is rather lacking in lustre and glamour, then we could also set up drapes or light curtains to give the area a wow factor and pizzazz.

Lighting and hanging lanterns to transform this room…

The downside of a top table is that you can feel a bit ‘trapped’ if you want to go off and greet guests. The two of you can’t really desert the others on your table because if you do, then you’ll be leaving a gap.

So what’s the other option?

A bride and groom table

Alternatively, you can have a table set up romantically just for the two of you. And this has several advantages.

Firstly, it sounds odd but on your wedding day there’s not that much chance for the two of you just to be quietly together and enjoy the day. Have a table for two and you can have a private wedding breakfast, have an intimate conversation that’s not overheard, chat about the day and how you feel it’s going so far.

Sweet heart table… Image Credit: Pinterest

And when you want to break away and greet your guests, some of whom you may have not seen for a long time, particularly if they live in far flung corners of the world, you can both get up and do just that without leaving anyone sitting without a dining partner on one side.

A table for two can also be decorated spectacularly and can be the highlight of your wedding theme. You can have wedding thrones if you like a little like the Beckhams did when they got married and a different colour scheme from the rest of the room.

Floral bride and groom chairs…

If some of your immediate family don’t get on too well, you’ll feel reassured that you are away from any conversation that might get a bit heated. And nobody will feel slighted that they’re not sitting next to the bride or groom, which can happen when there have been second marriages. In fact, you could find that many of your close family are rather relieved that there isn’t a top table.

You can put the best man, chief bridesmaid and all your other attendants together on a table if you wish and your parents and grandparents with aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters.

Whatever you decide to do, you can be reassured that one of our stylists will make your top table or bride and groom table look completely amazing.

Beautiful reception dressed in hessian with little lace touches…

They will take your ideas and colour scheme and transform them into the wedding reception you’ve always dreamed of, using colour co-ordinated wedding chair covers and chair sashes, table runners, light curtains and room draping.

We have stylists all over the country, so there’s sure to be one that’s not too far from you. Our stylists are very experienced at finding out exactly what brides want and turning those dreams into a beautiful visual reality. And because they’ll have all the props needed to make the whole event look picture perfect, you don’t have to spend time or money sourcing all those little extras that you’re unlikely to need again after your wedding.

Making a call doesn’t commit you to anything but it will certainly give you some ideas and take a lot of the stress out of wedding planning.